Method of packaging



Feb. 25, 1941.

W. E. HAUSHEER METHOD OF PACKAGING Filed Aug. 29, 1938 Patented Feb. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to a packet comprising a wet or moistened pad adapted for individual use for cleaning, cosmetic, or other purposes and aims to provide a hermetically sealed packet in which the moistened article will be preserved for a long time against drying out by evaporation and against deterioration by chemical action or otherwise of the preparation absorbed or otherwise carried by the article.

While the principles of my invention both with respect to the packet itself and to the method of producing the same may be utilized in the production of packets of various types, shapes and sizes adapted for a wide variety of uses, I have selected for illustrative purposes, and have disclosed as exemplifying those principles, a packet designed particularly for cosmetic purposes. That is, the solution or preparation with which the pad is impregnated is especially suited for cleaning and cleansing the skin upon the face, hands, or other portions of the body which by the use of my invention is cleaned and softened and improved in texture.

I am aware that facial pads saturated with a lotion or solution for application to the skin may be purchased on the market, but such pads are sold in a bundle or stack packed in a jar or sim ilar container. Such method of packaging is not only unsanitary, because when the container 80 is opened it is almost impossible to remove a single pad for use, consequently several of them are taken out, one is separated from the number, and the remainder which have been handled are replaced in the container in an unsanitary condition, but, 85 furthermore, once the container is opened, the

contents are subject to evaporation with the re sult that the pads soon become dried out and useless for the purpose for which they are sold.

One of the primary purposes of my present in- 40 vention is to furnish saturated pads to the consumer in individual sealed packets in which each pad will be retained in its original condition without deterioration as to moisture content, chemical properties or odor until used. The individual 5 packets each containing an individual moistened pad may be carried loosely by the user in a hand bag or in a pocket without danger of leakage or soiling of any fabric with which they may come in contact, and, being flexible, the packets are be capable of being folded so as to occupy minimum space, if desired, without danger of breakage or leakage.

The hermetically sealed outer casing of my novel packet possesses not only a flexibility which perll mits folding but, in order to obviate against accidental rupture and incidental leakage, is extremely tough and possesses great tensile strength. Since the casing material cannot be readily torn or broken open, my invention contemplates a novel provision for breaking the seal 5 to permit access to the contained pad. With this end in view, each packet is so constructed that, while it will remain hermetically sealed for an indefinitely long period, it may without the employment of any unsealing implement be very 1o readily and easily unsealed and opened by the user when the pad is required for use.

Another feature of my invention resides in the method of manufacture by which the packages maybe rapidly and economically produced. A 16 further advantage of my method is that the pads are all supplied with exactly the requisite predetermined amount of solution or lotion so that they all possess the same degree of saturation, no unnecessary amount of solution is employed or 20 wasted, and a more satisfactory and uniform quality of product is produced than hasheretofore been possible with the haphazard methods of submerging a stack of pads and then wringing them out. 25

Other advantages of my invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing.

Fig. l is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of an apparatus by means of which my novel method may be practiced;

Fig. 2 is a plan view illustrating the successive steps in the partial formation of my novel packet;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the additional final steps employed;

Fig. 4 is a face view of a completed packet; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the packet on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

In carrying out the method here illustrated for producing my novel packet, the moistened pad is first supplied or charged with a predetermined quantity of solution or lotion, and the pad is 5 then enclosed in a sealed sheath of Cellophane or similar material and the sheath is then cut to a size and novel shape, including the provision of a plurality of unsealing notches, as will be later explained more in detail. The sheath with the pad enclosed therein is then enclosed in an envelope or casing of impervious material in which the sheath is hermetically sealed. This case is shaped to correspond generally with the shape of the enclosed sheath and is also provided with an ll unsealing notch which, in conjunction with the aforementioned sheath notches, affords provision I for easy access to the pad within the sheath.

In carrying out the method Just outlined, any suitable apparatus may be employed. The one here shown for illustrative purposes comprises in general an elongated table 5 and a similar overlapping table I, the various mechanisms employed in carrying out the steps of the method being carried by or associated with these two tables.

At the intake end of the apparatus or the lefthand end viewing Fig. l are mounted upon a suitable support I two rolls I and l of sheet material of suitable width which is adapted to form the sheath of the packet. While materials of various compositions may be employed for packets of various characters, I have found that for my present purposes Cellophane, which is unaffected by the chemical constituents of the particular pads selected for illustrative purposes, is most satisfacto l rom the lower roll 8 the Cellophane is unwound over a guide roll II and passes forwardly over the table to a hitch feed designated generally as I! and comprising a pair of slides 13 guided for reciprocatory movements longitudinally of the table and upon which is pivotally mounted at I one or more grippers l5 fixedly associated with an arm ii to the upper end of which is connected an operating link H. The link is reciprocated back and forth by any suitablemechanism, not shown, and upon forward movement toward the position shown in the drawing the grippers I5 are forced into engagement with the Cellophane strips and feed the same forward a predetermined distance, and upon reverse movement of the link the grippers are freed from the strips and the whole feed mechanism moves toward the left, viewing Fig. 1, along the table into position to be reversed and execute another feeding step. Any mechanism whichisadapted to feed the Cellophane strips intermittently a predetermined distance at each feed operation can suitably be employed in the method. The strip from the roll a is designated II and the strip from the roll 8 is designated l9.

Forwardly of the guide roll I I there is mounted at one side of the table a magazine or hopper 2| in'which is disposed a stack of pads preferably of textile character, although other absorbent -material may be employed, each pad being in the form of a circular disc and all of the pads being moist or partially saturated with water or in some instances some other liquid. The pads are elevated in the magazine, by any well known mechanism, so as to present the uppermost pad slightly above the surface of the adjacent Cellophane strip i8, and a suitable reciprocatory feed device 22 transfers the topmost pad from the stack and deposits it centrally upon the upper face of the strip ll. Such a pad is designated on the drawing by reference character 23 and the relative positions of successive pads on the strip is is illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

At the next forward feed step of the strip is the deposited pad is moved to a position beneath the discharge nozzle 24 of a liquid applicator by which a predetermined quantity of solution or lotion is discharged upon the moistened pad so as to give an application uniform in quantity and character to each pad and sufficient, in conjunction with the moisture already in the pad, to substantially saturate the pad. The presence of the moisture already in the pad facilitates the dispersion of the applied solution throughout the pad, so that each pad throughout its area becomes uniformly impregnated with the solution and substantially the same degree of saturation is produced in all of the pads.

The applicator may be of any preferred type, 5 but that here illustrated comprises a receptacle 2! in which the solution or lotion is contained and a reciprocating plunger (not shown) cooperating with the ported submerged end of the U-shaped tube 28 to cause the discharge at each 1 actuation of the plunger of a predetermined quantity of the solution upon the upper surface of the pad.

The upper Cellophane strip ll after passing over the guide rolls 2! and II is spaced slightly above the impregnated pad as it moves forwardly along the table until it becomes positioned directly over and in alignment with a stationary die 29, the upper face of which is substantially flush with the upper face of the table. Above this stationary die and in position to register therewith there is mounted a reciprocatory die 3| which carries a depending disc shaped air expelling member 32 yieldingly projected a short distance beneath the die 31 by a coiled expansion 2 spring 33. The peripheral margins of the companion dies 29 and II are provided with mating annular grooves and ribs which, when the upper die is forced against the lower, produce annular corrugations in the Cellophane sheets surrounding the pad. These corrugations are indicated by reference character 34 in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

The reciprocatory die 3| is provided with heating equipment, electrical or otherwise, by which the temperature of this die is raised to a point 35 where, when the dies are compressed together, the interposed Cellophane sheets will be fused together throughout the corrugations, thus completely ensealing the interposed pad between the Cellophane sheets and within the corrugated seal. Any suitable mechanism 'may be employed for reciprocating the die 3| in predetermined timed relation with the apparatus as a whole.

Since thedisc 32 is yieldingly. carried beneath the die 3!, it will be manifest that this disc will contact and exert a limited pressure upon the upper sheet is substantially throughout the area of the pad before the die ii is brought into cooperative relation with its companion die 2.. This pressure expells the air from between the sheets in the vicinity of the pad, so that when the seal is produced around the pad a minimum quantity of air will be trapped within the seal.

From the sealing station the ensealed pad moves to a cutting station provided with a reciprocatory cutting die 88. This die cooperates with a stationary annular die mounted in the table and is shaped and proportioned to cut the fused together Cellophane sheets in close proximity to the perimeter of the fused corrugations 34, except at one side where the sheets are cut to provide a tab projecting outwardly from the annular corrugated sealin which tab is formed a plurality of notches 81. A spring pressed elector it projectabie beyond the lower edge of die I! by a spring II discharges the pad, ensealed between the Cellophane discs which form a sheath therefor, through the hollow die 80 onto the subjacent table l.

The successive steps of the method thus far described are illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing. At the left of this figure the moistened pad is shown deposited upon the Cellophane strip it. In the next position to the right the pad receives its charge of lotion or solution. At the next posi- 76 tion it is passed beneath the upper Cellophane strip H. In the next position the sealing of the pad between the sheets to form a sheath has been effected by forming and fusing together mating I annular corrugations 34 and in the last position the sheets have been die cut to produce a disclike sheath composed of the pad and the two sheets of Cellophane sealed together entirely around the pad and projecting at one side to form a projecting tab, the end of which has been notched, as indicated.

Beneath the table is mounted a roll 4| of imperv ous sheet material which unwinds therefrom over a guide roll 42 and extends forwardly over the top of table 5 in the form of a sheet 43. A second roll 44 of the same material is mounted above table 5 and after passing around the guide roll 46 the unrolled sheet 45 extends forwardly over the table 5 above the sheet 43. This impervious material is tough, pliable, somewhat elastic, possesses high tensile strength, and is completely impervious to moisture so as to form a case from which the moisture of the enclosed pad cannot escape. While other materials may be suitable for this purpose, I have found that a this use and adequately serves the required purposes.

The two sheets of pliofilm are fed along the table 5 in intermittent steps by a second hitch feed indicated generally by 41, similar in all respects to the hitch feed l2 previously described, and actuated by a link 48 corresponding to the previous link IT.

The sealed sheaths, indicated by 49, as they are discharged through the die 36 by the ejector 38 are positioned upon the lower strip 43 of pliofilm by which they are carried forwardly upon the table 5 beneath the upper sheet 45 of pliofilm to the sealing and forming station where the reciprocatory die 5| is located. This die has a downwardly projecting, tapered, slightly blunt operating rib shaped generally similar to, but slightly larger than, the sheath positioned beneath it. This die, like die 3|, is heated electrically or otherwise so that the operating rib is of sufficient temperature to sear the pliofilm as the die is pressed downwardly against the companion annular die 52 mounted in the table. The compression of the two pliofilmv sheets between these dies coupled with the heat of the depending rib of die 5| sears and cuts through the sheet material and simultaneously fuses the edges of the severed discs together so as to form a completely hermetic seal and thereby produce from the two sheets a hermetically sealed casing of wholly impervious material enclosing the previously formed sheath containing the pad.

In order to expel the air from the pliofilm casing before the sealing is accomplished, the die 5| is equipped with a disc-like expeller 53 yieldingly projected beneath the disc by an expansion spring 54. This expeller contacts the upper sheet of pliofilm in advance of the die and presses the pliofilm sheets toward each other, the lower sheet being supported within the hollow die 52 by a pad or plate 55 carried upon a bell crank arm 56 fulcrumed at 51 and adapted to be operated from any suitable mechanism through a link 58. When positioned as shown in Fig. 1, the pad or plate 55 serves as a support for the lower pliofilm sheet while the air is being expelled from between the sheets by the expeller 53.

ence character GI and from Fig. 4 it will be observed that the sheet material of the impervious case is extended at one side to enclose the notched tab of the sheath and is provided with an unsealing notch 62. The die 5| is shaped to produce this shape of case which is sealed entirely around its periphery including the notch 62 in the manner previously described.

From Fig. 5 it will be observed that the completed packet comprises the pad 23 substantially saturated with liquid containing any desired medicament, lotion or cleaning solution, depending upon the use for which the particular pad is intended. The pad is enclosed and completely ensealed in the Cellophane sheath 49, from which during its formation the air has been expelled, and this sheath is in turn enclosed and hermeticallysealed within the impervious case 50 from which the air has also been expelled,

The case 6|! is provided with the unsealing notch 62, but, in order to obviate the necessity of exact alignment between this notch and a notch in the enclosed sheath, the sheath is equipped with a plurality of notches 31. Even if the sheath should not be accurately located within the case, one of the notches 31 will be substantially in radial alignment with the notch 62 and, if in shipment the position of the sheath within the case should change, lateral movement of the notches 31 with respect to the case will be limited by contact of an edge of the notched sheath tab with the adjacent sealed edge of the case, so that substantial alignment of some one of the sheath notches 31 with the case notch 62 is always insured.

To open the packet, the two points of the case adjacent the notch 62 are grasped between the thumb and finger of the two hands, whereupon a pull exerted in opposite directions upon these points in a plane substantially perpendicular to the paper viewing Fig. 4 will rupture the seal at the bottom of the notch and tear the case material radially. As the pull is continued, the tear will extend into one of the notches of the sheath 49 and the Cellophane material of which this sheath is composed will likewise and simultaneously be torn radially through the corrugated seal 34, thus unsealing the packet and affording access to the pad which may then be removed for use.

In the form of my inventionlillustrated and described, the packet comprises both the sealed sheath and the hermetically sealed case. The sheath alone is insufiicient, because Cellophane is not entirely impervious to moisture and the saturated pad will eventually lose its moisture by evaporation and become dry and unsuitable for use, unless it be further ensealed within the hermetically sealed case. The sheath, however, is necessary in this particular type of packet, as it confines the chemicals or mediums with which the pad is treated and prevents their coming in contact with the surrounding latex case the constituents of which appear to combine with the chemicals of the pad so as to weaken the case after prolonged contact, or at least to set up an undesirable reaction which is detrimental to the pad as well as to the case. In some instances, however, where the solution with which the pad is impregnated is inert, so as not to react with the constituents of the case, it will be possible to omit the sheath and enclose the treated pad directly within the hermetically sealed case.

The size and shape of the pad, sheath and case here shown and described as illustrative of the principles of my invention are obviously subject to considerable modification. For instance, the pad, instead of being circular may be rectangular or of other polygonal shape and, instead of being of single ply formation, may be of laminated character produced by folding of the material upon itself or by uniting two or more plies of the same or diiierent characters together in any suitable manner. The size and shape of the sheath and casing will, of course, be in general conformity with the pad, and, if a rectangular form be employed, the unsealin'g notches may be located at one or more corners, thus obviating the material waste incident to the formation of a projecting tab such as illustrated in the drawing. The dies and other operating instrumentalities employed in practicing my method will, 0! course, conform in size and shape to the dimensions and outline of the particular packet to be produced. It should be manifest, therefore, that the details of both the method and the product may be varied within considerable limits without exceeding the scope of my invention as defined in the following claim.

I claim:

The method of producing a hermetically sealed packet which consists in positioning a thin moistened pad between two sheets or impervious material, expelling the air from between the sheets in the vicinity of the pad, fusing the sheets together around the perimeter of the pad to pro-' duce a hermetically sealed sheath enclosing the pad, and separating said sheath from the sheets.

WALTER E. HAUSHEER. 

